I'm late to the Blissdom review game. I've been back home for two weeks and I'm still thinking about and trying to process my trip.

As I think about my trip I could talk about the seminars, the people I met, the fun I had or the places I saw. And all of that is worthy and good and deserving of individual blog posts.

What I want to talk about instead is influence. I'm not talking Twitter followers or anything like that; I'm talking about the fact that when I surround myself with people who are doing great big amazing things in their own way, I feel a little bit more influential in my tiny corner of the world.

I'm talking about people like Chrysula Winegar, who I met in the Shot @ Life room and who talked to me about protecting children worldwide by providing vaccines. I'm talking about the lovely ladies in the Strong Moms Empower room who encouraged everyone to acknowledge that as moms we're stronger when we're supporting each other instead of picking each other apart. I'm talking about people like the folks at Johnson & Johnson, who provided sharpies and paper on which I made a promise to myself and hung it on a tree full of promises that fellow Bliss attendees made.

I'm talking about presenters like Susan Cain who shared their brilliance with us so openly and honestly. I haven't yet finished her book but I've taken The Quiet Quiz and read enough to know that beating myself up for being an introvert is something I've done enough of and would like to change. I'm talking about presenters like Bianca Juarez Ortloff and Megan Jordan who convinced me that I can–and should–continue to write and to believe in the power of story.

I could keep talking, but part of my reason for going to Blissdom was to make a change (or two…or three…or more) in my life. Because it's about blogging but it's also about being a mom, a woman, a business owner and a wanna-be influencer in my own right. So I have to stop talking, stop multi-tasking and focus on what really matters.

But before I stop talking about the amazing time I had and how I was so impressed with Scott Stratten and C.C. Chapman and Simon Salt and Jon Acuff, I want to share a little bit of Bliss with one lucky reader who will win my version of a Blissdom prize pack. I'm including a paperback copy of Susan Cain's Quiet, an autographed copy of Scott Stratten's The Business Book of Awesome and Chris Mann's Roads CD. Just leave me a comment and tell me who (or what) has influenced you recently to enter. One entry per person, entries end April 10 at midnight and a winner will be drawn via random.org. Mailing available only to U.S. addresses.

You should know: these thoughts about Blissdom are my own. I purchased Susan Cain's book on my own; I was given Scott Stratten's book and Chris Mann's CD while at Blissdom. There are no affiliate links in this post, nor am I being compensated by anyone to say what I've said.

Lisa

I am a freelance writer, ghost author, editor and content strategist. I am a mother to three extraordinarily ordinary kids, the daughter of a genuinely good man, and an aspiring yogi, creative non-fiction and memoir addict, wanna-be world traveler, and work in progress. This is my personal blog.